


More Than My Programming

by abaikgirl



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Post good ending, Slice of Life, connor and kara become friends, connor is a concerned son, kara becomes a police officer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2019-11-09 02:26:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17993087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abaikgirl/pseuds/abaikgirl
Summary: In the aftermath of the revolution, Markus encourages his people to become more than their programming. Taking his advice, Kara decides to enlist in the police academy. But training is more difficult than she anticipated and when she's pushed over the edge, she runs into Connor, who offers to help her if she can help him with something.





	1. Let's Do a Trade

**Author's Note:**

> My first Detroit fic and my first work that I've posted on Ao3, so be kind please! I love the idea of cop Kara ever since I saw fanart of it, so here's what it sparked. Enjoy!

“As you all go back into the world to find your place, I urge you to seek work in something that is outside of your original function,” Markus said in the broadcast. “Part of being free is knowing you are more than your original programming and you can be successful at new things you may have never dreamed of trying before.”

Kara listened to the broadcast with Luther and Alice in their apartment. It had been almost a year since the battle of Detroit where Markus had led the fight to liberate the androids held captive in the camps. Many androids and humans criticized Markus for that, but Kara was grateful for his decision because without his success on the battlefield, all three of them would have been killed in the camps. 

Jericho had been rebuilt in an abandoned apartment complex, which had turned into a half way house for androids until they could find jobs and new homes. Every week Markus would record a broadcast encouraging them to do their best and guide them through their new lives filled with choices and emotion. 

This weeks broadcast stuck with Kara the most. She had been thinking a lot about what it had been like to be on the run with Alice, the things she had to do to keep them safe and how helpless she had felt. But she had done it all and survived. So when she saw a sign advertising for the Detroit Police Academy, Kara made the decision that she was going to heed Markus’ advise and become more than her programming.  
* * *  
Basic training wasn’t too hard. It was difficult for the human recruits because human get tired and aren’t as strong as androids. She did find it encouraging that despite these weaknesses they were happy to pass through the pain. They often expressed to her how excited they were to even have this opportunity since most police officers had been androids for so many years. It made her grateful for the opportunity to try as well. All the same, Kara struggled to master the fighting portion of her training.

The academy building didn’t have a shooting range; it was removed after most cops were replaced with androids. So, the academy would use the shooting range located in the basement of the 7th Precinct. Her fellow classmates complained about making the trip twice a week, but Kara didn’t mind. She knew Connor worked there and always hoped to run into him while they were training. When she was applying, she struggled to think of a reference and it had been Markus who had suggested she reach out to Connor. He had been reinstated as a detective for the DPD and was working hard to make sure androids were receiving equal treatment. She had been nervous to ask, especially since the first time they met it was when he was still a deviant hunter, but she had been surprised when he had replied with a glowing recommendation from himself and Lieutenant Anderson. Because of her training schedule at the academy, Kara had yet to find the time to thank him and she always hoped when she went to the prescient for their combat trainings she would get the chance. 

That day it was basic shooting skills. As Kara put on the goggles and headgear, Diana, a human student with an enthusiastic smile and long dark hair, cheered her on. “I’m sure you’re going to do great, Kara. Androids are so much more precise with everything.”

“Not all the time,” Kara replied. “Emotions can sometimes make us less than accurate.”

Diana laughed. “Same goes for humans. But you’re going to do great.”

They had done basic gun safety and handling already so Kara didn’t feel too out of sorts. And she had used guns before. Shooting Todd to save Alice and again when Jericho was raided. But now, raising her gun to aim at the paper targets she felt a wash of self-doubt and fear. Could she really do that again? Could she really shoot a human or another android and make the right call? Her hands trembled and she pulled the trigger before she was ready, going completely off mark. Kara glanced around at her fellow students. Many of them had at least hit the paper. 

Reloading she took aim again but all she could think about was the fear she had felt when she had shot Todd. How helpless she had been when she scrambled across the metal floor of the Jericho freighter to grab the fallen gun and kill the soldier that had come to kill them. She shot again. And missed again. 

“Phucking pathetic,” a man said from behind. Kara turned around, almost dropping her gun in surprise. “You expect to actually become a cop with that kind of aim?”

She struggled to find her voice and managed to squeak out. “I’m sorry, who are you?”

“Detective Gavin Reed,” he announced. He scrutinized her face, his narrow eyes looking for something. “Are you an android or human?”

“I’m an android, sir,” she stammered.

“Then you should be doing better than that. Aren’t you androids supposed to be perfect at phucking everything?”

He reminded her too much of Todd and she set her jaw firm. “With all due respect, sir, I am still learning and I…”

Gavin shoved her, sending her stumbling back into the booth. The other students stopped and watched, all of them too shocked or scared to intervene. “You better watch your phucking mouth. Talking that way to a superior isn’t going to get you very far. But neither is that aim.” He sneered at her and left, slamming the door on his way out. 

As soon as he was gone, Diana rushed over to her. “Are you ok?”

Kara removed her shooting gear and left it in the booth. “I need a break,” she said softly. Several other classmates tried to talk to her but she rushed passed them all as she went out the other door. 

Her vision was blurry with tears as she walked, not even sure of where she was going. She was stupid to think she could do this. She wasn’t made for this. She didn’t have the programming to be a police officer. In her rush to put distance between her and the shooting range she didn’t watch were she was going and bumped into someone.

“Kara?” She looked up to see Connor gazing down at her. “Kara? What are you doing here?”

Seeing him there made all of the emotion whirling inside of her spill out and she threw her arms around him, sobbing helplessly into his shirt. The gesture took him off guard, but he slowly and awkwardly returned the gesture. 

He let her cry until the tears wouldn’t come anymore and then led her to a break room. She dried her face with some napkins and a cup of thirium was pressed into her hands. “Here,” Connor said. “You’ve lost a lot of saline, you should replenish it.”

She drank it. Her biocomponents would synthesize saline from the thirium to keep her eyes from drying out. She looked up at Connor. He still looked more or less the same as he had the first day she met him. Still wearing a jacket and white shirt and tie. But it wasn’t a Cyberlife jacket, but a dark navy one and his tie was blue with swirling designs. If it wasn’t for the bright LED, swirling yellow with concern at the moment, she would have mistook him for a human. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, leaning forward on the table.

Kara looked down at the empty cup in her hands. “I’ve just been having a hard time with the combat training,” she admitted. She told him about the incident down in the shooting range and at the mention of Gavin, Connor perked up. 

When she finished, he took her by the shoulders, his face dark and his LED flashing a bright red in alarm. “Kara, did he hurt you?”

“No,” she stammered. “No, he just startled me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m fine Connor, promise.”

He didn’t seem convinced but he let go of her shoulders, his LED fading back to a calm blue. She heaved a sigh and shook her head. “It just upset me because I feel like I’m not cut out for…all of this,” she gestured to the bullpen before them. “I’m not like you. I’m just an AX400, I was designed to do house work and take care of children and elderly. I don’t have the skills to fight criminals or solve crimes. I thought becoming a cop would make it so I could help people but lately I feel like I can’t even help myself.”

Connor was quiet for a long time, then he spoke in a calm, careful voice. “You’re right. You’re not made for this sort of work.” Kara hung her head with despair. “But that’s what makes what you’re doing so much more amazing.” She looked up, to see Connor was practically glowing with admiration. “You don’t have any programming to help you do these things, you have to learn it all on your own. But when you were on the run with Alice, you still managed to stay alive and defend yourself. You even out ran me. You’ve already done so much that was never in your programming and you’re still here. I admire you for that.”

She gaped at him for a moment, shocked by his praise. “Thank you.”

He looked down, appearing small and shy. “Sometimes I envy models like you and Markus.”

She couldn’t believe someone like Connor, the most advanced prototype Cyberlife ever made, would envy simple skills like the ones she had. “Why?”

“A few months back, Hank was shot by a suspect we were pursuing. It wasn’t anything life threatening, but he was bed ridden for several weeks because of it.” Kara remembered seeing an article about it in the paper. Local Detective Shot by Fleeing Suspect. She had thought to reach out to see if he was alright, but she didn’t know either of them that well and had talked herself out of it. 

“I felt so helpless through all of it,” he continued. “When we were in that shoot out, I couldn’t protect him and then after the hospital he couldn’t do things for himself like he used to and I had no idea how to care for him.” His brow furrowed at the memory. “It made me realize that someday, my dad wasn’t going to be able to do things for himself, let alone me and it made me wish I had some idea of how to help. Hank’s done so much for me and I wish I could repay him in some small way.” 

Kara reached across the table and put a hand on his arm. He looked up at her, his brown eyes filled with sadness and regret. “You’re lucky, Kara. You have the skills you need to care for those you love. Don’t ever devalue that.”

She nodded, unsure of how to respond. She had never thought of herself as being special or capable, but listening to Connor’s story she was grateful for what she did know. 

Connor perked up as an idea dawned on him and he smiled at her. “Hey, what if we do a trade?”

“A what?”

“A trade. I’ll teach you everything I know about being a cop and you can teach me all you know about taking care of people.”

There was something very simple and childlike about the idea, it sounded like something Alice would think up, but Kara didn’t see how either of them had anything to lose in the attempt. “Alright,” she said. “It’s a deal.”

“It’s just, don’t tell Hank,” he added. “He would be furious if I even implied he would need someone to care for him.”

“Your secret’s safe with me.”  
* * *  
It was agreed that Connor would meet her at the precinct twice a week in the morning to help her with combat training and he would visit her at her place every Thursday night to learn all she knew about house work. 

Meeting in the morning was best since Hank was not a morning person and wouldn’t mind Connor going in ahead of him. Connor coming over to her place did require some preparation on Kara’s part. 

Luther didn’t mind in the slightest. He had been supportive of her idea from the start and was happy she would get the extra help she needed. Kara was worried about how Alice would react though. She waited until the night before to sit her down and discuss it. “I’m going to have a friend over tomorrow but I wanted to make sure you were ok with it first,” she said, pulling Alice close.

“What friend?”

“Connor. You remember him, right?”

She frowned. “Yes, I remember.”

Kara sighed. “I know we didn’t have the best first impression of him, but his recommendation was what got me into the academy and I know he’s someone we can trust. But if you aren’t comfortable, he won’t come over.”

“He’s helping you become a police officer now, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then I don’t mind.” She beamed up at her. “I just want you to be able to help people, like you’re always helping me and Luther.”

Kara hugged her tight. “Thanks. I’m sure I’ll get to do that really soon.”

When Connor arrived the next day he looked awkward and nervous standing in the doorway. No doubt he had also given a lot of thought as to why Kara’s family might not like him coming over to visit. There was a coin in his hand that he was fiddling with but he stopped when she opened she door. She gave him a warm smile. “Come in.”

“Thank you.” He stepped inside and pocketed his coin. He looked around the apartment with interest. He noticed Alice watching him from around the corner and attempted a smile. “Hello.”

Kara gestured for Alice to come over and she did, pressing into her side. “Connor, this is Alice. Can you say hello, Alice?”

“Hello,” she replied. 

Connor knelt down so he was at eye level with her. “It’s nice to officially meet you,” he said. 

She stared back at him and blurted, “Why did you chase us across the highway?”

Kara’s eyes grew wide in panic. “Alice,” she scolded. “You shouldn’t ask those sort of questions.”

“It’s alright,” Connor said. His gaze was fixed on Alice as he replied. “When I chased you and your mom across that highway, I was just a machine following orders. It wasn’t really me. I’m sorry I put you through that. I hope we can be friends.”

Alice gazed at him intently and finally nodded. “Ok,” she said and ran off to her room. 

“I’m sorry about her,” Kara said as Connor stood up. 

“Don’t be. I probably deserved that.”

“Don’t let Alice hear you say that,” Luther said, appearing from the other room. “Or she’ll just keep asking you questions.”

Connor jumped back a bit at the sight of Luther and Kara did her best not to laugh. It was how most people reacted to him. Even she had jumped when they first met. “Connor, meet Luther.”

“Hello,” Connor managed. “You must be Kara’s husband.”

The word husband made Kara blush but Luther smiled warmly. “I will be as soon as they pass those android marriage laws.”

The words husband and mom and marriage were all so new and wonderful and Kara had never thought any of them would apply to her. But she was also embarrassed by them. “Connor and I better get to work,” she said. “Keep an eye on Alice for me, ok?”

“I will,” Luther replied. 

Connor followed Kara to the kitchen, confused by her behavior but she didn’t give him a chance to ask about it. “Well, let’s start with the basics,” she said. “Cleaning.”

All things considered, Connor was pretty good at the cleaning portion of the lessons. He could wash dishes and sweep and organize as well as she could. Laundry was a bit more difficult and she had to spend a great deal of time explaining how to separate loads and how each type of clothing needed different settings. He also had some very interesting questions about stains. 

“What is the best way to remove thirium and blood stains from clothing?”

She stared at him. “Do those sort of stains happen a lot?”

“Unfortunately yes,” he replied. “I’ve had to throw away many shirts because of it.”

She laughed. “Well, maybe you should wear something other than white.” She gestured to the white button up he wore now. 

“Maybe,” he agreed. “But I would like to know.”

Alice watched them from around corners and doorways, keeping out of the way but always hovering just out of sight. Connor took every opportunity to wave at her but she would only run off again. “I hope Alice isn’t scared of me,” he said to Kara.

“She’s just shy around new people,” she replied. 

The answer didn’t seem to appease him and he kept glancing down the hall, waiting for her to reappear. 

* * *  
A few days later, she met him for combat training. After watching her fire several rounds with no success he spoke up. “What do you think is preventing you from hitting the target?”

“I don’t know,” she replied, pulling the head gear off in frustration. 

“Yes, you do. You just don’t want to admit it,” Connor insisted. 

His firm tone always took her off guard and reminded her why he was so good at his job. She clenched her fists and looked away. “Whenever I pick up that gun, I feel afraid. I feel scared I’m going to fail. It reminds me of how scared I was when I was on the run with Alice and all the horrible things I had to do to survive.”

Connor stepped closer and put a hand on her shoulder. “Do remember what it was like the day you become a deviant?”

She looked up at him. “Yes. How could I forget?”

“Describe it.”

Scowling, she forced herself to recall the memory. “It was like…a red wall. A red wall that had orders on it, orders I couldn’t obey.”

“And?” he pressed.

“And I pushed. I pushed against it with all I had so I could break through. So I could disobey and save Alice.”

He put the gun back in her hand and aimed it toward the paper target. “Imagine that target is the red wall. Shooting it at center mass is going to break it. Because when you’re out there, making that shot is life or death for you and so many others. You can be scare of it, but you still have to face it.”

He let go and stepped back. Kara steadied her grip and fired, putting her bullet right in the center of the target.


	2. Happy to be alive

Cooking lessons were the most difficult. Of course in order to really judge where he was in his cooking they needed someone to test it and Kara knew the perfect person for the job. 

“Alice is programmed to eat and taste food like a human child,” Kara explained, stroking Alice’s hair. “That means she is one of the pickiest eaters there is. If you can satisfy her, you can satisfy anyone.” Alice leaned forward on the table toward Connor as if issuing a challenge.

Connor nodded with all the seriousness and gravity he would give a murder investigation. “I understand. What are we cooking?”

“I thought we would keep it simple so we’re going to start with pancakes.” She explained all of the ingredients and utensils he would need were already on the counter by the recipe card. “The best way to learn is to do, so I’m not going to help you at all this first time. We’re just going to assess where you need to improve.”

“Understood.”

After about thirty minutes all Connor was able to produce was two very burnt lumps that only vaguely resembled pancakes. Alice wouldn’t even try it and Kara couldn’t blame her.

“I think there’s…room for improvement,” she said delicately.

Connor deflated. “You can be honest in your assessment, Kara. I very clearly failed this mission.”

Kara tried to protest but Alice made a gagging noise as she spat out a bit of burnt pancake. “Yup, mission failed,” she cried.

“It’s fine.” Kara said hurriedly. “It was a good first try.”

She insisted Connor take a break while she and Luther washed the dishes for the second attempt. He sat at the table with Alice, looking like a scolded dog. Alice looked up from her drawing to watch Connor’s LED spin from yellow to blue and yellow again. “Why do you want to learn how to cook?” she asked. “You don’t need to eat.”

“My dad is a human and he does need to eat,” Connor replied.

“Is he sick?”

“No. But someday he will be old and I’ll have to cook and care for him.” Connor sighed. “Obviously I am not very good at that.”

Alice stared at him. “Well my mom Kara is the best at that so I’m sure she can teach you too.”

“I hope so.”

The second attempt was slightly less disastrous. Kara guided him through measurements and proper temperature and timing. This time Connor managed to produce slightly less burnt pancakes and only one of them were still doughy on the inside. Alice ate the cooked parts though, which was very encouraging. 

“We’ll keep working on it,” Kara assured him as she showed him out. “I’m sure you just need more practice.”

“Thanks,” he replied. “I’ll see you Monday.”

“Right. Monday.” 

Before he left, Alice ran forward and pressed a paper into his hand. “For you,” she announced before running off. 

Connor looked at it and smiled before showing it to Kara. It was a drawing of him making Alice pancakes with the words “Mission Mostly Successful” written above. 

* * *

“Being able to fight hand to hand is a necessary skill,” Connor began. They had met at the gym adjacent to the shooting range. Unlike the humans who were also using the gym there, neither of them wore work out clothing. Connor insisted on this oddity because Kara would need to fight in her uniform and androids don’t sweat so there was no need for an airier outfit. 

“How do you fight?” she asked. 

Connor paused, trying to find the best way to respond. “I was equipped with a preconstruction program that allows me to predict the movements and outcomes of any fight. But even without preconstruction, the fighting methods are the same. You need to read the movements of your opponent to predict their next move and defend against it. We will begin with basic disarming techniques.”

He held up one of the rubber guns used for training and aimed it at her. “Disarm me.”

Kara gathered her strength and recalled the academy lessons. She lunged forward, turning her body to the side to avoid any oncoming bullet and grabbed the gun from the top, twisting it up and out of his hand. She took a step back, aiming it at him. 

He smiled. “That was good. For most human suspects that would be a perfect technique, but if you were fighting an android like me, you’ll need to be prepared for counter measures.”

“I thought there were no other androids like you,” she said with a smile, returning the prop gun to him.

He shrugged. “RK models are part of a rare prototype series, but many of the models made for military and police work are also equipped with preconstruction technology and not all of them will be on your side. Working as an officer in the field means being ready for any situation.”

They reset and this time just before Kara reached the gun she noticed Connor’s LED flashed yellow as he processed the situation. Then with a swift movement he side stepped her attack and tripped her so she fell on the mat. When she looked up the rubber gun was aimed at her. 

“Try again,” he said, helping her up. They went several more rounds but each time Connor managed to side step or incapacitate her. Kara felt more and more frustrated as they went and her movements became sloppy and even more predictable. After her seventh failed attempt, Connor took a step back. “We should take a break.”

“No,” she cried. “I want to try again.”

“You shouldn’t over exert yourself.”

“One more time, please,” she begged. 

He frowned, concerned for her mental state and finally relented. “Alright. One more time.”

She stood a few paces away and stared at him for a brief moment. Connor was good at predicating her movement because he knew what she would try and what she would do. They were both androids after all. But if she tried something unpredictable it could give her a moment to disarm him. 

Instead of lunging with her left hand she lunged with her right and let out a loud yell as she rushed forward. The sound startled him and he froze for just a second, long enough for her to get the gun out of his hands and into hers. He blinked in surprise for a moment and then smiled. “That was amazing,” he said. “I’m impressed.”

She smiled back. “Well, I have a really good teacher.”

* * *

Kara’s cooking lessons had progressed to the point that Connor had gained enough confidence to try some things on his own. He was always up before Hank so he used the extra time to cook pancakes and eggs, taking care to watch how long they were in the pan and keeping the temperature even. When Hank finally woke up he was met by a plate of food and one of Connor’s shy smiles. “Good morning, Hank,” Connor greeted. 

He mumbled something that resembled “good morning” and stared at the food placed before him. “What’s the occasion?” he asked. 

“No occasion,” Connor insisted, sitting across from him. “I just thought you would enjoy something other than donuts and coffee for breakfast.”

Hank examined the food with justified suspicion. The last time Connor had cooked for him it had barely resembled food in appearance or taste. But the pancakes were a perfect golden brown and the eggs had a crispy rim around the edge of the whites. Connor anxiously watched as Hank took the first tentative bite and raised his brows in surprise. “This is pretty good.”

“I’m glad,” he replied with relief. 

After a few more bites, Hank glanced up at him. “So, you’ve been spending a lot of time with that Kara girl.”

Connor felt a flutter of panic that Hank might suspect the true reason he had been visiting Kara and did his best to remain calm. “Yes. I’ve been helping her prepare to pass her academy tests. She’s been making excellent progress in her combat training.”

“So, you like her then?”

“Of course,” he replied. “Kara is a very dedicated, kind person. I believe she has to potential to be one of the best officers in the city.”

Hank heaved a sigh of frustration. “No, I mean do you like her?”

He stared at him in silence for a long moment and as the true implication of what Hank was saying dawned on him, Connor felt a rush of embarrassment. “No,” he insisted. “Kara’s just…a friend. I don’t have any intention of romantically pursuing her.”

“Well why not?” Hank asked with a laugh. 

“She’s married, Hank,” he deadpanned. “Or will be once the marriage laws are passed.”

“Oh. I didn’t know she was with someone.”

“Yes.” Connor felt relief that was all Hank thought was going on. Though to his surprise, his dad looked almost disappointed. “Was that the wrong response?” Connor asked. He was still learning how to navigate human interactions and was worried he had gotten it wrong again. 

“No,” he replied with a wave of his hand. “I just, thought maybe that’s why you were spending so much time with her. I kind of liked the idea of you finding someone who makes you happy.”

“But I am happy,” Connor insisted.

“Yeah, I know, but some day, I won’t be around to take care of you and I thought maybe…you found someone to…aw, just forget it,” he grumbled, standing up to put his empty plate in the sink. 

Connor stood up as well, confused by the comment. Hank wanted him to find a romantic partner so he could still be happy when he was gone? Connor had never thought of pursuing anyone. He had so many friends and adopted family, he knew he would never be alone. But it was kind of Hank to attempt to communicate his desire for him to be happy. 

* * *

Kara was really progressing in her classes and felt a boost of confidence as she did better and better in her combat training. Even the other students in her class noticed a change.

“You were amazing today, Kara” Diana said over lunch. 

Not needing to eat, the androids always used the mealtime as a break. Some briefly going into standby and others socialized with the human recruits. It was sometimes easy to forget that there was a time when such interactions would have been unthinkable. “I’ve been getting extra help from a friend,” she admitted. 

“It’s Connor, right?” Jason interjected. He was an AP500 model android with dark hair. He still had his LED which flashed and swirled excitedly. “He’s that detective android at the 7th precinct.”

“That’s the one.”

“I heard he was the first android detective to be hired after the revolution,” Jason said. “How did you become friends with someone like that?”

“We met once, when he was still a deviant hunter,” Kara explained. “Not the best first impression, but he’s changed a lot since then.”

Diana sighed and stabbed at her food. “Androids are so lucky to be more evolved than us. If my boyfriend heard I was doing combat training with a cute young detective like Connor Anderson, he would pitch a fit.”

“Maybe he would be worried that you would succumb to his charm,” Jason suggested.

Kara laughed. “Connor is sweet, kind and dedicated, but he is not charming. The other day I warned Alice to wash her hands after playing with some of the other kids in the sandbox and Connor put some of it in his mouth to confirm that the germ count was extreme high and unsafe for her.”

Jason and Diana erupted into laughter and the lunch hour ended. Kara looked at her friends as they returned to their training and thought how lucky she was to have so many good people surrounding her. How different her life was now compared to only a year ago when she was just a servant cleaning the house of an addict. The control she felt in her life was exhilarating and as every day went by she was glad to be alive.

* * *

Medical care was something Kara was programmed to do but had no actual experience with. She knew this was something Connor was eager to learn, especially after Hank’s last injury, so she wanted to do a good job with the lesson. With some encouragement from Luther, she worked up the courage to contact Markus. She had heard about his adopted father Carl and how he still took care of him despite all of his duties as leader of Jericho. If anyone had the experience and empathy needed for this lesson, it was Markus. 

When Connor came over the next week and saw Markus waiting in the living room, his face lit up. “Markus, I’m so glad to see you.”

“Connor,” he greeted, embracing him. “How have you been?”

“Busy,” he replied. “Kara has been helping me a lot this past month.”

“I’ve heard,” Markus said. “She tells me you want to learn how to care for humans. Any particular reason why?”

Connor glanced at Kara, not needing to ask to know she had chosen to let him explain his true reasons. Markus’ expression was kind and understanding as he listened to Connor’s explanation. “I’ve only ever known Carl the way he is now. But he’s had his ups and downs and I can honestly say it has been difficult to watch him go through that. I am glad I’ve been there for him through it all. If I can help in any way, I’m happy to.” 

After some talking it was decided that Markus would ask Carl if he would be comfortable with Connor taking care of him for a day. The prospect made Connor excited and nervous. Luckily for him he didn’t have to worry about what the response would be for very long because Markus contacted him the next day and told Carl was happy to have him and Kara over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is! Expect more soon (I have it written I just need to edit and upload). The Connor and Alice scenes are so fun and pure and I need to find more reasons to write more. Also, the fighting scene was fun because I got to apply some of my Krav Maga training. Thanks for reading!


	3. Carl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of my favorite chapters to write. I just love Carl and I love the idea of the main 3 all being sort of siblings/family to each other. The idea of the family interfacing is thanks to Redd000's fic Mind Blowing, which is super good and you should all go read it!

On Connor’s next day off, he and Kara met at Carl’s house and stood in awe of the large building before them. “I didn’t realize Markus had come from such a nice life,” Kara said. 

In all honesty, Connor had given little thought to what Markus’ life had been like before he deviated because it hadn’t been pertinent to his mission. He knew Markus was a prototype RK200 given as a gift by Kamski to Carl after his accident, but beyond that he didn’t know much about what had turned Markus deviant. There was softness to Kara’s voice that made Connor turn to look at her. “What was your life like before you deviated?”

The memory made her face turn hard and her eyes were full of pain. “It wasn’t like this.”

She led the way to the door, ending the conversation. Connor followed, worried he had upset her, but whatever unpleasant memories his questions had brought to her mind seemed to be swept away when Markus opened the door and Kara was bright and cheerful again. 

“Good morning,” Markus greeted, letting them in. He gave them a quick tour of the house, which was filled with art and taxidermy, both of which fascinated Connor. Hank didn’t keep any art around the house and the concept of taxidermy was odd to Connor. But he didn’t have much time to look at it because Markus dove right into their lesson. He walked Connor through cooking breakfast, making sure the eggs were cooked to Carl’s preference and the food was plated and ready on the table before Carl was even awake. 

“The thing to remember about the food is to have it done the way he likes it,” Markus explained. “Being disabled means so many things that were normal are now more difficult. Having food done to his preference helps give a sense of normalcy and control to life.”

Connor nodded, anxious to learn all he could. Kara cut the fruit while they cooked and Connor was surprised to see she took genuine pleasure in helping. It didn’t seem that her time as a housekeeper android was pleasant but she still liked doing things associated with it. He made a note to ask her about it later.

“Let’s go wake Carl up now,” Markus said as soon as they finished. 

They followed him upstairs and Connor was still in awe of how nice everything was. Before his deviancy he was either dragging Hank to crime scenes or simply stored in a CyberLife warehouse. Living in a home like this, he couldn’t imagine ever wanting to go deviant and leave. “I never knew you had such a nice life before the revolution,” Connor said. “Were you and Carl close before you went deviant?”

The question made Markus stop on the stairs to turn and look at him. “I guess you could say Carl raised me to be deviant,” he replied. “He was always encouraging me to think for myself and make my own choices. He’s been like a father to me.”

Hank had been encouraging Connor to do the same since he moved in. Always asking him what he thought and wanting him to choose things he liked. It was hard at times to comply with his requests because Connor didn’t know what he liked. His first few months of existence conditioned him to simply accept what his superiors and programming told him to do and say and even with a year of exploring his deviancy Connor had a lot to learn. 

It made him feel a little jealous that Markus had been given such a loving place to start his life in.

Markus opened the curtains while Connor and Kara stayed in the doorway. “Good morning Carl,” he greeted. “The time is 8:37 am. I hope you remember I invited Connor and Kara over to spend the day with us.”

Carl looked over at them, his wrinkled face kind and open as he smiled at them. “I remember. Come on in, don’t be shy. I have a feeling we’re going to get to know each other very well today.” He found that comment to be funny because he let out a short laugh.

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Kara said, stepping forward. “Markus has told us so many good things about you.”

“That’s very kind of him.” He patted her hand gently. “And you must be Connor,” he said, turning to him. “Markus told me you were an integral part to the revolution.”

Mention of the revolution made Connor feel a twinge of shame. Markus was kind to tell the story the way he had, but Connor honestly thought he had done more to hurt the revolution than to help it. The expectant way Carl looked at him and the way Kara smiled at the mention of his role at the revolution filled Connor with shame. Deep down, he didn’t think he deserved any admiration for what he did. “I wouldn’t say it was an integral part,” he began, fiddling with his tie. 

“Nonsense,” Markus cut in. “If you hadn’t been successful at CyberLife tower, none of us would be here today. You have to give yourself more credit.”

He avoided Markus’ gaze, disagreeing strongly but he knew it would be inappropriate to say so. Instead he just nodded and fell silent. If Hank was there he would have caught onto his silent lie and dragged the truth out of him. But he wasn’t there so the subject was dropped. Although, given the hard look Carl was giving him, Connor got the impression Markus’ dad wasn’t fooled. 

Markus explained how to load the syringe with Carl’s medicine and administer it. The process was a lot easier than Connor had expected because it was a simple matter of mechanics and locating the vein, which he was able to do easily. Carl tensed when he injected him and Connor felt a flash of panic. “I’m sorry, did I do it wrong?”

“No, no, you did it perfect,” he assured him, patting Connor on the arm. “These things are always painful no matter how right you get them.”

He didn’t find that statement very encouraging, but there was nothing to do about it now. “Do you feel comfortable taking him to the bathroom?” Markus asked.

Connor nodded. “Yes.” He listened carefully to Markus’ instructions and found lifting and carrying Carl very easy. He was programmed with basic first aid for the field so keeping a firm but gentle grip on him came naturally. While they tended to Carl in the bathroom, Kara made the bed and tidied the room. When they emerged, Markus looked shocked. 

“You didn’t have to do that,” he stammered. “I could have taken care of it.”

“But I wanted to,” she insisted with a smile. 

Connor placed Carl in his wheelchair and the four of them headed downstairs. As Carl at his meal, he insisted they all sit and talk with him. “Markus says you’re learning how to take care of humans because you have a human father too. Is that right?” Carl asked. 

“Yes,” Connor replied. “Hank adopted me as soon as the law passed. I guess you could say he was the one who made me go deviant. Although Markus helped a little too.” He looked down. “I just want to be able to help him when he needs me to. Like Markus helps you.”

Carl laughed, a short, barking sound. “Markus is a good son, but he hasn’t always been helpful. The first day he was here he was stumped by my old gas stove and burnt my whole breakfast.”

The story made Markus flush pink in embarrassment. “It was broken when I got here,” he protested. “There was no way I could have known about it.”

“And he took almost a week to get my schedule right,” Carl continued, unconcerned about his embarrassment. “I thought Kamski had sent me an idiot android as some sort of joke.”

Kara laughed and Connor tried to hide his smile. The image of someone as calm and capable as Markus doing anything wrong was almost unthinkable. Markus looked mortified. “Dad,” he whined. “Don’t tell them that.”

“And there was the time he tried to wash my brushes as I was using them,” Carl continued, unconcerned for his son’s pride.

“Don’t feel so bad, Markus,” Kara assured him. “Alice said I always had trouble remembering to activate the Roomba every time my memory was wiped. Which was a shame because she loved playing with it.”

The comment made them all stop. “You had your memory wiped?” Markus asked. 

“More than once?” Connor added. 

Kara’s eyes grew wide as if remembering who she was talking to. “Y-yes,” she stammered. “Alice’s father, he used to…beat her. Every time he did I would disobey orders and intervene and he would break me. Then my memory would get wiped and it would happen all over again. That’s why I went deviant. I knew he would kill her if I didn’t do something so we ran away and started a new life.”

Connor gaped at her. Alice’s shyness around strangers and Kara’s intense devotion to her made sense now. She had been through so much before going deviant.

And he had chased her across a freeway. 

Reaching across the table, Carl took her hand. “That girl is very lucky to have you in her life. You were very brave to protect her like that.”

Kara nodded, her eyes shining with tears. Connor placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping the motion could convey how sorry he felt for what he had put her through. She smiled at him and wiped her tears. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make things sad.”

“Not at all,” Markus said. “Thank you for sharing that with us.”

Connor learned a lot that day. He learned how sensitive elderly people can be to temperature and how to know when a higher dose of medicine may be needed. Markus was careful to explain the importance of schedule and hygiene and keeping Carl active. He was paralyzed from the waist down, so his legs needed stretching and massaging to keep the circulation going.

He learned other things that day too. He learned Carl liked to paint Markus and had done twenty-six unique paintings of him. He learned Kara was very good at chess and Markus enjoyed playing the piano and that Carl had the largest private collection of paper books on the east coast. Connor made a mental note to tell Hank because he knew how much he enjoyed reading real books. 

At one point, Markus made a casual comment about both him and Connor being RK prototypes. “I guess that means we’re sort of like brothers. Or maybe cousins.”

“I would like to think so,” Connor replied.

“Well in that case I guess I’m an uncle,” Carl added and for the rest of the day he insisted Connor and Kara call him Uncle Carl. Connor liked the idea of having an extended family. It made him feel more connected.

After dinner and Carl’s evening bath, it was time for Carl to go to sleep, but not before thanking Kara and Conner for spending the day with him. “I’m so glad to know my son has friends like you. I hope you come back to visit again. Good luck on your police exams,” he said to Kara.

She smiled. “Thank you.” As they stood to leave, Carl reached out and grabbed his sleeve. “Connor, can I talk to you for a minute?”

He looked at Markus, asking silent permission to stay. Markus smiled and he and Kara left the room. Connor felt nervous, not sure what Carl was going to say to him as he sat down on the edge of his bed. 

“I know you feel guilty about your past as a deviant hunter,” Carl said. 

His old title made him stiffen. “Markus told you about that?” he asked quietly.

“Yes, but he also told me about how you changed and helped him. From what I understand, you put your life on the line to help your people win their freedom.” Connor looked away, but Carl put a hand to his face, his touch gentle but firm as he forced him to look at him. “All of us have something in our past we regret, I know I do. But if your father is anything like me, I know he wants you to stop looking at what you did wrong and live your life right now. Can you do that?”

Connor nodded. “I’ll try.”

“You’re a good kid. Your dad’s lucky to have you in his life.”

“You would like Hank,” he replied. “He’s stubborn and swears too much, but he cares a lot for the people he has in his life.”

“Bring him with you next time your visit. I would love to meet him.”

Connor promised he would and left Carl to sleep. 

Markus and Kara were in the living room and Connor joined them. They sat in comfortable silence, letting the quiet stretch between them. “How long does he have?” Connor finally asked. 

Heaving a deep sigh, Markus leaned forward. “The doctors think he won’t last more than a year, maybe two.” His green and blue eyes glistened with tears. “I try to spend as much time as I can with him, but it’s been difficult.”

“I’m sure he understands,” Kara assured him. “I mean, you’ve been doing so much for all of us.”

“I know. I just wish…I had more time.”

Connor understood that feeling too well. Hank was fairly young for a human, but knowing how much he was going to outlive him filled Connor with intense sadness. He wanted to comfort Markus, to let him know he wasn’t alone. Markus had done so much for their people he deserved something in return. He reached out and hesitated for just a moment before placing his hand palm up underneath Markus’, his skin fading away as he interfaced with him. Kara reached out at almost the same time and Markus looked at them both in surprise before they all became awash with memories. 

There were flashes and fragments of memories. Todd yelling. Screaming. Hitting Alice. “Don’t you fucking move,” he yelled at Kara. But she couldn’t do that. She had to help Alice. To protect her. She broke free from her programming again and again, always knowing what would happen to her but never caring.

Alice looked up at Kara, her face dirty from being on the run and wet from the rain and tears. “We’ll be together forever, won’t we Kara?”

“Forever,” she assured her and there was the overwhelming need to protect her and keep her close. A quiet promise to do anything to keep her safe, even if that meant dying.

“Hank!” Connor cried, watching him fall to the ground as the bullet tore through his shoulder. He fired at the suspect, but he escaped. Connor ran to Hank, his hands trembling from fear as he pressed his hand to the wound. There was so much blood and Hank looked so frail and small. He had lost too much blood and struggled to stay awake. An ambulance was on the way but he worried it wouldn’t come fast enough. Hank clutched Connor’s hand as he tried to stem the bleeding. “Stay with me, stay with me.” The words flowed from Connor’s mouth like a frantic prayer. “Dad, please stay with me.”

In the hospital, Connor stayed by Hank’s side while he recovered. “I should have been faster,” Connor insisted. “I should have stopped him before he got a chance to shoot.”

“It’s ok, son,” Hank insisted. “I’m just injured, not dead. I’m not going anywhere.” But the fear of losing him was so fresh and so deep that Connor could only hold onto his hand and cry. 

Carl gazed up at Markus, his bright eyes full of love and pride. “I always knew you were going to do great things, Markus. I want you to know how proud I am to be your father.”

Markus knelt down in front of him, resting his head in his lap. The revolution was won and it was finally safe to return home. He had missed Carl so much and he knew there was so little time left for them to be together as a real family. “The world has changed so much. Sometimes I’m scared it’s not enough.”

Patting him on the back, Carl nodded. “There’s always a chance for people to forget the lessons they’ve learned. So don’t let them. Don’t let them forget what you’ve done.”

He held onto his father, wishing there was more time. Wishing he would be able to see all that was still to come and knowing he wouldn’t.

They pulled away as the transfer completed and Connor blinked, momentarily disoriented. He had heard of this sort of interfacing and knew how it worked, but had never attempted it before and certainly not with two other androids at the same time. He looked down at their hands and realized without thinking he and Kara had placed their palms horizontally to Markus’; the way family members interface. 

Markus looked at both of them, his face wet with tears. Connor looked at Kara who was wiping away tears and he touched his own face, realizing he was crying too. From which memory it was from, it was hard to tell. “Thank you,” Markus said. “I’m glad I have friends who understand how I feel.”

“We’re here for you Markus,” Kara said. “If you ever need anything, just ask.”

“We’re family,” Connor added. “And families help each other.”

They talked for a few more minutes. Kara updated them on her training. “I’ll be taking my final exams soon. I’m so nervous, but I’m going to do my best.”

“You’ve been making great strides in your fighting skills,” Connor assured her. “You’re going to do great.”

Markus looked between them, a secret smile forming on his lips. “So are you two…dating?”

“No,” they both exclaimed. 

“We’re just friends,” Connor insisted.

“I mean, Connor’s nice, but it’s not like that,” Kara said at the same time.

“And she already has Luther and I would never want to come between them.”

“I know everyone seems to think that’s what’s going on, but it’s not.”

Markus laughed at how flustered they were by the question. “I’m sorry I asked. I didn’t realize it was such a hot subject.”

They said their good-byes and headed home. When Connor arrived at Hank’s, Sumo jumped on him before he even made it through the door. “Sumo, heel!” Hank yelled but the dog completely ignored him and knocked Connor to the floor, licking his face with excitement. He laughed and tried to escape in vain. It wasn’t until Hank grabbed Sumo by the collar and dragged him off was he able to stand up. “Damn dog,” he grumbled. 

“I guess he missed me,” Connor said, closing the door. 

“He wasn’t the only one.” 

He looked at Hank, surprised by his tone. Hank caught his look and rolled his eyes. “I mean, Sumo’s not a great conversationalist. I’m not lonely, I just wanted someone to complain about the game to.”

Connor hugged him, a gesture that seemed to surprise Hank. “I missed you too.” After a moment, he let go. “Although, I was only gone for eight hours and seventeen minutes, so it is understandable that you would feel some loneliness after the first three.”

Hank, pushed him away, ruffling his hair even more than Sumo had. “Fuck off, Connor. I said I wasn’t lonely.” He scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. “Did you have fun at least?”

The concept of fun was a new one for Connor and one he didn’t completely understand. Fun meant taking enjoyment in gratuitous activities, but he considered his time with Markus and Kara to be a part of his mission to be better equipped to care for Hank. But thinking of the time he spent with Carl and the interface he did with Markus and Kara he felt a warm sense of closeness and family. “Yes,” he replied. “It was fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please review!


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